Apparatus and method for filling nurser



Dec. 27, i966 R. w. BARTON 3,294,126

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FILLING NURSER Filed April 21, 1964 INVENTOR BY I ,Wl v (55 "1,6 (55 United States Patent Gfiee 3,294,126 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 3,294,126 APPARATUS AND METHGD FOR FILLING NURSER Raymond W. Barton, Evansville, Ind., assigner to Mead Johnson & Company, a corporation of Indiana Filed Apr. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 361,360 6 Claims. (Cl. 141-9) This invention relates to the filling of an expandable nurser suoh as a disposable nurser. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus and method for filling such a nurser.

Disposable or throw-away nursers have several advantages over more conventional glass or plastic nursing bottles. The lessening of'the cost of washing, sterilizing and handling, and of replacement is obvious. Additionally, empty nursers may be supplied to a hospital in a sterile condition and, with proper filling apparatus and techniques, the sterile condition can be maintained up to the time of feeding. It has been proposed to fill disposable nursers in a sterile manner, eliminating contamination due to handling of nipples before and after filling of the nurser, such as may be encountered especially in hospitals where a large number of nursers are required and are handled several times before feeding.

It is also often desirable to provide a wide variety of formulas in nursers to meet particular needs, as well as varying amounts or concentrations of a particular formula in specific cases. Bulk filling operations, carried out at a hospital usually employ a plurality of supply containers, each supply container containing a basic or principal formula preparation used in the hospital nursery. For example, one supply may be a container of special formula for new-born infants; another supply may be a container of a standard hospital formula for use in later feedings of the new-born infants. In addition, special formulations are often required because of allergic problems.

In certain cases, it is desirable to feed an infant only four to six ounces of a formulation normally prepared in an eight ounce quantity. If such formulation is prepared by an automatic fill to eight ounces, undue waste is encountered. Additionally, where dilution of a formulation is desired to provide a variety of caloric concentrations, the automatic fill operation, filling to ful-l capacity of the nurser, is not normally useful for such filling without providing an extra container of the more diluted formula.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus and method for filling expandable nursers.

A more particular object is to provide a new and useful system which limits the amount of expansion of an expandable nurser to a preselected amount or level during filling operation.

As a feature of this invention, there is provided a device for holding an expandable nurser between two adjustably spaced surfaces during a filling operation for limiting the amount of fill. In a preferred form, the surfaces are provided by a supporting member and a limiting member, and the adjustability of spacing is provided by integral portions of such members.

As another feature, and in the preferred form of the invention, the limiting member is a collar having a series of vertically spaced horizontal slots, and the support member includes a mounting portion configurated to receive any selected one of the slots to dispose a 4limiting surface of the collar a corresponding distance from the opposing supporting surface of the support member for retaining a nurser disposed between the surfaces against expansion beyond a value determined by the spacing between the surfaces.

Advantageously, the system of the present invention is particularly adaptable for use in filling an expandable nurser of the type having an expandable wall of pliable or retractile material.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View, with portions cut away, of a form of holder for an expandable nurser in accordance herewith showing the nurser held therein for filling;

FIGURE 2 is a view from an open side of the holder of FIGURE 1 with the nurser removed; and

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of a portion of bulk filling apparatus including a plurality of holders such as illustrated in FIGURES l and 2.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a specific embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated.

An example of a holding device in accordance herewith is shown in FIGURES l and 2 of the drawings and indicated generally by reference numeral 12. Holding device 12 is capable of lholding an expandable container against expansion beyond a preselected limit during a filling operation. In the form shown, the holding device is especially adapted for use in the filling of expandable nursers of the type disclosed by R. W. Barton et al. in copending application Serial No. 100,160, entitled .Nursing Apparatus, filed April 3, 1961 now Patent No. 3,200,860. Such a nurser is identified by reference numeral 13 in the drawings and includes top and bottom sections 14 and 15 respectively, both of a plastic material and sealed together at a peripheral seam 16. Bottom section 15 is a retractile wall of a material which is more fiexible than the material of top section 14, and, with the nurser empty, bottom section 15 may be collapsed into top section 14 so that the bottom section conforms closely within the top section. The nurser is supplied with the bottom section 15 in the collapsed position and may be filled prior to use with the bottom expanding upon filling. A nipple 17 is secured in an opening in top section 14 and is provided with a removable nipple cover 18. A variety of sizes of nursers, as with capacities of two, three and eight ounces, is available and may be used in accordance with the present invention.

The nurser 13, illustrated in the drawings, includes a sheet 19 which may be of heavy paper or the like having an annular central opening therein within which the cover 18 is received, the sheet 19 being held in an annular groove in cover 18 and helping to lock cover 18 in position over nipple 17.

The nurser holder 12 includes a support member or base 22 having a supporting platform portion 23 with a surface 23a for receiving and supporting a nurser. A removable convex support member or spacer, as illustrated at reference numeral 24, may also be provided for use on surface 23a in a manner to be explained hereinbelow. An upstanding wall 25 is provided as an integral portion of base 22 and upstanding from the platform portion 23. Wall 25 includes an inwardly projecting flange portion 25a which terminates in a narrow supporting flange portion 25b, illustrated in a generally semi-circular configuration. Y

A selectively adjustable expansion limiting member is provided in the form of a collar 26, having an expansion limiting surface 26a disposed opposite support surface 23a, with collar 27 supported by the ange or tongue portion 25b. For so supporting collar 26, collar 26 includes a plurality of vertically spaced, generally horizontal grooves 28a-28d which are illustrated in a generally semi-circular configuration for engagement with flange portion 25b. Each of grooves 28a-28d is capable of slidably receiving the flange portion 25b so that collar 26 may be slidably withdrawn from fiange portion 25b and slidably repositioned on flange portion 25b by means of any one of the grooves 28a-28d. Thus, fiange portion 25b, supported from platform 23a, and grooves 28a through 28d comprise means integral with the support member 22 and limiting member or collar 26 for selectively adjusting the spacing of support and limiting surfaces 23a and" 26a with respect to' each other. The collar 26 can be withdrawn from the supporting fiange portion through an access gap defined in wall 25 between opposite ends of the semi-circular fiange portion 25b.

A top wall 27 is secured across the top of collar 26 and includes an opening 27a capable of receiving the nipple 17 and cover 1S with the expandable nurser positioned in the holder by passing through the access gap in wall 25. The expandable nurser may be readily positioned within the holder 12 by placing the nipple portion of the nurser within opening 27a of the top wall 27 on collar 26 with the nurser body, as defined by walls 14 and 15, in position beneath the limiting surface 26a of the lower edge of collar 26. The assembly of collar and nurser is then united with the base 22 by engaging flange portion 25h in a selected one of the grooves 28a-28d. The grooves 28a-25d are selected with respect to the desired amount of distance between surfaces 26a and 23a of holder 12, permitting the correct expansion of wall of the nurser between the two surfaces. It is apparent that engagement of groove 28a with flange portion 2512 will permit maximum expansion between the support and limiting surfaces while engagement of the ange portion in groove 28d will permit the minimum amount of expansion, grooves 23h and 28C providing intermediate amounts.

The holder 12, specifically illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, is for use with a two ounce nurser of the type described hereinabove. Accordingly, on the inner surface of collar 26 there is provided a scale ranging from one to one and three-fourths ounces for identifying each of grooves 28a-28d with respect to the amount of fill obtained in the nurser when the respective groove is engaged with the flange 25b. Where it is desired to lill to the total two ounce capacity, the collar 26 of the form illustrated may be omitted, permitting free expansion of the nurser 13. Where it is desired to fill to less than onehalf capacity, i.e. less than one ounce, the convex support member 24, having a Volume of, for example, threefourths ounce, may be used, and three-fourths of an ounce is subtracted from each value of the scale on the inner surface of collar 26 to determine the precise amount of fill permitted with the various respective grooves 28 engaged with the flange portion 25b. The convex support member 24 rests freely on surface 23a and may be removed when not needed.

In a hospital nursery or other institution where many nursers are prepared at one time, it is desirable to utilize a bulk filling apparatus. A preferred form of bulk filling apparatus is illustrated in FIGURE 3. For a more detailed description of the bulk filling apparatus and its use, attention is directed to the aforesaid copending application of R. W. Barton et al. In general, there is provided a filling stand indicated generally by reference numeral 32, which includes a base 33 and a pair of upright members 34 carrying between them an elevated platform or shelf 35. Bulk formula containers 36 and 37 are supported lon shelf 35. Each of the bulk containers has affixed thereto a connection means in the form of a filling set 39, through which formula is caused to flow from the bulk container for filling nursers by sealed gravity flow. A tray member 38 is supported by base 33 for carrying a plurality of nurser holders 12, each of which may include a nurser to be filled through one or more of the filling sets 39.

Briefly, the filling set 39 may be sealingly connected with one of the nursers 13 and the formula caused to flow by gravity from the bulk container to the nurser. yAs the flow continues, the lower portion of wall 15 of the nurser expands, until the nurser is filled to the desired level, at which point the flow of formula stops. The attendant may then shut off the connection between the bulk container and the nurser by urging the flexible tubing 43 of the filling set 39 into a tubing clamp 48 mounted on shelf 35 and may subsequently disconnect the filling set from the nurser. The filling operation may be continued in subsequent filling steps as needed or desired to fill the nurser to the desired level with formula or formula components from either of the containers 36 and 37 after changing the position of collar 26 between each filling step to accommodate the amount of formula to be added in the next subsequent step.

For connecting the filling set 39 with the nurser for filling purposes, the filling set includes a connector 44, which, when connected to the nurser, provides communication with the nurser through the same nipple end opening of the nurser from which liquid is withdrawn during nursing. The outer end of nipple 17 fits fairly tightly with a cylindrical portion of the nipple cover 18 and is provided with a nipple opening in the form of a cross-cut. The connector 44 includes a cannula portion or pointed spike 45 which may be inserted through a central circular fill opening in the top of cover 18 and through the crosscut opening in the end of the nipple, into the position shown in FIGURE 1. Cannula or spike 45, while in its inserted position, seals with cover 18 to prevent leakage therebetween.

The connector 44 is supported on the end of the length of flexible tubing 43 of the filling set 39. A depending skirt 46 surrounds a portion of the spike 45, and when the connection is made with the nipple, the skirt 46 surrounds the cylindrical upper portion of nipple cover 18, as an aid in positioning connector 44. A removable cover 47 is provided for the spike 45 and is removed when it is desired to use the filling set. It is to be understood that the flexible tubing 43 is connected at its upper end to a conduit member projecting through the top wall of a container 36 or 37 and extending downward below the level of liquid formula in the container, providing siphon action and continuous gravity flow from the container to the nurser through tube 43 and connector 44 until the nurser has expanded to the limit permitted by the selected setting of surface 26a relative to surface 23a in holder 12.

In use of the system described for filling expandable nursers, a cap 42, provided on cover 18 to cover the fill opening in cover 18, is removed from the nipple end of the nurser and the connector 44 is connected through the cover 18 and nipple 17 as described above. The nurser is then inserted in collar 26, and collar 26 is joined with base member 22 by way of the selected groove 28a, 28b, 28C or 28d and the flange portion 25h, in accordance with the desired amount of fill. The bottom of nurser 13 rests on surface 23a. Tubing 43 is withdrawn from clamp 48, permitting gravity fiow into the nurser until the sheet 19, or top section 14 if sheet 19 is omitted, engages the lower surface 26a of the collar 26. Gravity flow ceases and tube 43 is replaced in clamp 48. Connector 44 is removed and the cap 42 may be replaced if desired. If it is necessary to further fill the nurser to a higher level with another formula or with water, the cap 42 is removed and the connector 44 associated with the other formula or water container is connected through the nipple in the same manner as described above. The filling is continued as before, but with collar 26 positioned in a higher position relative to surface 23a, resulting in filling of the nurser to a still higher level with the second formula or water. More often, water will be used for such additional ll for the purpose of diluting the first formula to a predetermined dilution.

It Will be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a new and useful nurser filling system Which employs opposing surfaces, adjustable with respect to their distance from each other for limiting the expansion of a nurser during filling and for stopping ow of liquid to the nurser at a preselected level of nurser fill, less than full capacity. In accordance with the system provided herein, a nurser may be filled with a predetermined amount of a formula or a predetermined ratio of formula or ingredients from a plurality of formula containers. The system is capable of eliminating the provision of a greater plurality of formulations differing, for example, with respect to caloric concentration. The system may also be used for controlled quantity dispensed to an expandable nurser, resulting in conserving formula by dispensing only the amount of formula prescribed for a given feeding.

I claim:

1. The method of filling an expandable nurser which comprises providing first and second separate supplies of different nursing formulae, connecting the first supply to the nurser for filling the nurser by gravity How, restricting expansion of the nurser to a predetermined level of formula whereby the nurser is filled to a predetermined capacity less than full capacity, disconnecting said first supply, releasing said nurser for greater expansion beyond said first predetermined formula level, and connecting said second supply to the nurser for lling said nurser to a second predetermined formula level by gravity ow of said second formula from said second supply.

2. A nursing apparatus of the character described cornprising an expandable nurser having an opening for lling the nurser, a supply of a first liquid formula component, first conduit means connected with said supply and removably insertable through said opening for directing first formula component into said nurser, a separate supply of a second different liquid formula component, second conduit means connected with said supply and removably insertable through said opening for directing second formula component into said nurser, and a selectively adjustable blocking system including first blocking means for blocking said nurser against expansion beyond a first predetermined level during directing of first formula cornponent through said opening and second blocking means for blocking said nurser against expansion beyond a second higher level during subsequent directing of second formula component through said opening.

3. The nursing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said higher level corresponds to the full desired capacity of the nurser.

4. A nursing apparatus of the character described cornprising an expandable nurser for receiving liquid formula, a supply of liquid formula, means for directing formula from said supply into said nurser, means holding said nurser against expansion beyond a predetermined limit of expansion, and removable solid spacer means engaging both said holding means and said nurser for further limiting expansion of said nurser to a lesser limit of expansion corresponding to less than the full capacity of the nurser.

5. In a system in which liquid formula is introduced into an expandable nurser, a nurser having a top Wall and a bottom wall, a nipple carried upright by said top Wall, said top and bottom Walls being capable of relative expansion responsive to introduction of formula into said nurser through said nipple, platform means including a central portion for receiving the bottom Wall of the nurser and supporting the nurser, mounting means upstandng from a peripheral portion of said platform means and including a generally horizontal flange portion projecting inward above said central portion, a collar for straddling the nipple of the nurser and having a lower edge for engaging and limiting ,upward expansion of the top Wall of the nurser with the nurser bottom Wall received by said portion, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal grooves in said collar, each of said grooves being congurated to releasably receive said flange portion with said bottom edge spaced from said platform a differing predetermined amount corresponding to the amount of vertical expansion of the nurser resulting from filling the nurser to a predetermined level.

6. A nurser filling system of the character described comprising an expandable nurser for receiving liquid formula, a supply of liquid formula, means for directing formula from said supply to said nurser, and a holder for said nurser comprising a support member having a support surface for supporting a portion of the expandable nurser, a limiting member for engaging another portion of said expandable nurser, said support member including support means extending to a position a spaced distance from said surface, and groove and tongue mounting means including a plurality of spaced grooves for receiving the tongue to secure said limiting member at a preselected distance from said surface for limiting expansion of the nurser between the surface and limiting member a different amount for each different groove in Which the tongue is received.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,064,213 12/1936 Mcloynt 141-316 X 2,564,163 8/1951 Leperre 141-2 3,200,860 8/1956 Barton 141-330 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

E. I. EARLS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE METHOD OF FILLING AN EXPANDABLE NURSER WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING FIRST AND SECOND SEPARATE SUPPLIES OF DIFFERENT NURSING FORMULAE, CONNECTING THE FIRST SUPPLY TO THE NURSER FOR FILLING THE NURSER BY GRAVITY FLOW, RESTRICTING EXPANSION OF THE NURSER TO A PREDETERMINED LEVEL OF FORMULA WHEREBY THE NURSER IS FILLED TO A PREDETERMINED CAPACITY LESS THAN FULL CAPACITY, DISCONNECTING SAID FIRST SUPPLY, RELEASING SAID NURSER FOR GREATER EXPANSION BEYOND SAID FIRST PREDETERMINED FORMULA LEVEL, AND CONNECTING SAID SECOND SUPPLY TO THE NURSER FOR FILLING SAID NURSER TO A SECOND PREDETERMINED FORMULA LEVEL BY GRAVITY FLOW OF SAID SECOND FORMULA FROM SAID SECOND SUPPLY. 